What Does a Hair Stylist do?
Hair Stylists are beauty care professionals who work in a salon or spa styling and cutting customers’ hair. They’ll often talk with the customer to understand their style preferences, recommend an option that works best for the client and perform a hair cut, highlight or style accordingly. Hair Stylists work to inform their customers on the best hair care products to try and may sell the salon’s products to customers.
They’re responsible for building and maintaining a strong relationship with customers to ensure they continue revisiting the salon and making more appointments. Hair Stylists must also adhere to the cleanliness and salon safety standards to ensure all customers are safe in their care. They also stay updated on new hairstyles and trends to provide informed and resourceful recommendations to clients.
Hair Stylist Skills and Qualifications
A successful Hair Stylist needs lots of training and practice. So, their biggest qualification is prior experience, either through other jobs or through a certification or diploma. Hair Stylists also need a wide range of skills unique to the trade, such as:
- Experience using different types of scissors, trimmers and other tools to create hairstyles
- An understanding of the different types of hairstyles a person can request and how to achieve those looks
- A willingness to learn about new styles and techniques
- The ability to communicate with customers and understand a look they want, even if they don’t know the technical terms for a certain style
Hair Stylist Salary Expectations
According to data we’ve collected from nearly 16,800 people over the past three years, the average salary for a hair stylist is approximately $13 an hour. This equals roughly $27,000 for a full-time worker. A Hair Stylist’s exact salary, however, depends on their experience. Junior stylists can make about $15 an hour, and senior stylists can make around $18 an hour.
For an entry-level Hair Stylist, starting pay can be as low as minimum wage. More experienced stylists, though, can make over $35 an hour.
Hair Stylist Salary Expectations
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Common salary:
24.57 HOURLY -
Typical salaries range from
7.25 -69.00 HOURLY - Find more information on Indeed Salaries
*Indeed data –
Hair Stylist Education and Training Requirements
Hair Stylists must have comprehensive knowledge about different hairstyles and how to create certain looks. It takes years of training to gain this kind of knowledge, and stylists must continue learning so they can stay current with the latest trends. Hair Stylists also need enough knowledge to be able to recommend certain looks or changes when a customer isn’t sure about what they want.
Hair Stylists receive education and training from beauty schools or institutes, where they can obtain certificates, diplomas or even associate’s degrees. Some candidates pick up related experience by completing degrees in cosmetology.
Hair Stylist Experience Requirements
Many Hair Stylists start with a minimum amount of experience. It’s not uncommon for these professionals to start right after completing a certificate or beauty program. Junior or senior Hair Stylists, however, will have a mix of education and real-world experience. These professionals can have three to five years of experience, or more.
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